SM:TV - Post(bag) Ant, Dec and Cat

An actor like erm Ant and Dec were? That's why they worked so well on SM:TV with all the sketches etc, they are originally actors whether they're good ones is another thing but it was their background. To me that was clearly the thinking behind James which didn't work out...but then did they ever really think they'd better A&D on their own show? It was probably a mistake on ITV's part to keep it going after they left. I do like your Holly and Stephen idea though, that would have worked better than any other thing they tried out. I actually thought it was feeling like SM:TV again in the last few months where they'd stopped trying too hard and it was just Stephen and Des mucking around. The unique thing Stephen and Des had compared to the likes of Tess was they were likeable and seemed like they wanted to be there. Not just using the show purely as a stepping stone to primetime.

This thread is like TVF of yesteryear btw, I'm not sure if this is a good thing or bad...

Well this thread went in an… interesting direction.

Does anyone remember how at the end of SM:TV, it didn't really end as such. There were no credits, but the presenters would switch to using the CD:UK mics and say "You know where it's at!" going into the break. But there was still an ident and announcement before CD:UK I seem to recall, whereas SM:TV was just introduced with a CiTV ident.

And I remember Dec frequently shortened the name of the show, "Next week on SM" or something similar.

I wish I taped more full episodes. I've only got a few.

I guess it's because SM:TV and CD:UK were technically the same show, with the SM:TV credits shown at the end of CD:UK with the exception of the SM:TV Gold period in 2003. Though funnily enough they are owned separately now, with Ant & Dec's company owning SM:TV and Shout Factory in the US owning CD:UK.

Possibly a bit more value in CD:UK for archive music performances.

James Redmond wasn't bad actually and a shame he didn't last a bit longer. It's one of those situations we see all the time though where it's practically impossible to replace an established presenter(s) and there has to be a fall guy who takes over only to be culled not long after. Usually it's for someone better - in this case it was for Brian Dowling. Zoe and Jamie were the exception really in replacing one successful duo with another over on L&K.

I assume after the last year the reunion show is off the cards for now - might crop up again for the 25th anniversary.

I do miss the old TVF. Although I never posted back then, I used to read the discussions avidly, and there was a certain charm which I tend to find isn't always there anymore.

Would be good to see it get a repeat run like with Top Of The Pops. While they're at it, put the ITV Chart Show repeats back on!

Wikipedia says (citing the Daily Star so make of that what you will) that the reunion show has been put back to 2019.

I heard it was being moved to 2019 on the news when the news regarding Saturday Night Takeaway wouldn't be aired next year. As far as I'm aware it is happening as a 21st anniversary special.

Hopefully they'd show plenty of clips!

Personally, I'd love to see those early episodes again, there's a certain charm about them even if they didn't really have much idea what they were doing.

Always remember the camera would swing to the CD:UK side of the studio. That and "I'm red, I'm red, I'm Tizer head, I'm fizzy-fizzy-fizzy I'm off my head..."


CD:UK was a standalone show, always got repeated in the early mornings, so it makes sense they used the ITV ident.

I don't remember much of James. H and Claire seemed to do a singalong of some sorts every week. Went off Tess when I saw her on Faking It.

How long did Chums continue after Ant and Dec left? I remember reading on the original thread on here from 2003 that they took Ant and Dec out of the titles and had a version with just Cat in them?

For anyone wanting to relive the first episode of chums, here it is!